Catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated dinitriles employing palladium and ruthenium as catalyst

ABSTRACT

The catalytic hydrogenation of an unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula   wherein each R is an alkylene or an alkylidene radical, and each R&#39;&#39; is an alkyl radical, is carried out in the presence of NH3, hydrogen, methanol, and a catalyst comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of elemental palladium, palladium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental palladium, and mixtures thereof, and a second component selected from the group consisting of elemental ruthenium, ruthenium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental ruthenium, and mixtures thereof.

United States Patent [191 Drake 5] Aug. 5, 1975 [75] Inventor: Charles A. Drake, Bartlesville, Okla.

[73] Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company,

Bartlesville, Okla.

22 Filed: Nov. 19,1973

211 Appl. No.: 416,786

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l0/1967 Feldman et al. 260/4655 10/1968 Feldman et al. 260/583 K Primary ExaminerJoseph P. Brust [5 7] ABSTRACT The catalytic hydrogenation of an unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula wherein each R is an alkylene or an alkylidene radical, and each R is an alkyl radical, is carried out in the presence of NH hydrogen, methanol, and a catalyst comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of elemental palladium, palladium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental palladium, and mixtures thereof, and a second component selected from the group consisting of elemental ruthenium, ruthenium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental ruthenium, and mixtures thereof.

13 Claims, No Drawings CATALYTHC HYDROGENATTON OF UNSATURATED DlNllTRllLES EMPLOYKNG PALLADIUM AND RUTHENTUM AS CATALYST This invention relates to a process for the preparation of saturated aliphatic diamines by the catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles.

In general, various processes for the catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles to saturated aliphatic diamines are known to the art. Group VIII metal catalysts such as cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, or palladium have been employed as effective catalysts for the hydrogenation of various feedstocks in these processes. However, it has been discovered that many of these hydrogenation catalyst materials are not always efficient or effective for the hydrogenation of unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles having the formula wherein each R is an alkylene or an alkylidene radical, and each R is an alkyl radical.

In accordance with this invention, these branchedchain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles are efficiently reduced to branched-chain saturated aliphatic diamines in a single reaction zone by the use of a catalyst comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of elemental palladium, palladium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental palladium and mixtures thereof, and a second component selected from the group consisting of elemental ruthenium, ruthenium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental ruthenium and mixtures thereof; in the presence of ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol.

It is an object of this invention to provide a process for the catalytic hydrogenation of branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles to branched-chain saturated aliphatic diamines. Another object is to provide an efficient one-step process for the catalytic hydrogenation of an unsaturated dinitrile having the formula wherein each R is an alkylene or an alkylidene radical, and each R is an alkyl radical. Still another object is to provide an efficient process for the catalytic hydrogenation of a mixture of branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles to produce saturated aliphatic diamines in a single reaction zone. Still another object is to provide an efficient process for the catalytic hydrogenation of branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles under reaction conditions which limit the occurrence of byproduct-forming reactions. Other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification and the appended claims.

The branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles which are considered to be advantageously and efficiently hydrogenated in accordance with the process of this invention are the unsaturated dinitriles of the formula:

'methylenedodecanedinitrile (l) (N E CR)C=CH-(RC E N) wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkylene radical and an alkylidene radical, and R is an alkyl radical. Each R will generally have from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, perferably from 1 to 6, and more preferably from 1 to 3 carbon atoms. R will generally have from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and more preferably from 1 to 3 carbon atoms. In general, the unsaturated dinitrile reactant of Formula (I) will contain from 7 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, and more preferably from 9 to 12 carbon atoms.

Representative of unsaturated reactant species of Formula (I) include such compounds as 4-methyl-3- hexenedinitrile, 4-ethyl-3-hexenedinitrile, 5-methyl-4- nonenedinitrile, 5-ethyl-4-decenedinitrile, 7-rnethyl-6- tridecenedinitrile, 7-methyl-6-pentadecenedinitrile, l- Z-methyl- 1 Z-tetracosenedinitrile, lO-hexyl-9- tetracosenedinitrile, 2,3-dimethyl-3-hexenedinitrile, 2,4,6-trimethyl-3-heptenedinitri le, 4-ethyl-6,7-dimethyl-3-octenedinitrile, 2,4,6-triethyl-3-octenedinitrile, 2-ethyl-4,6-dipr0pyl-3-octenedinitrile, 2-methyl- 4,6,8, lO-tetrapropyl3-dodecenedinitrile, 2,4,7 ,9,1 l 1 3,15-heptaethyl-6-hexadecenedinitrile, and mixtures thereof.

If desired, other unsaturated dinitrile reactants can be present and effectively hydrogenated during the hydrogenation of the unsaturated dinitriles of Formula (I). Thus, in addition to the unsaturated dinitrile reactants of Formula (I), the dinitrile feed stock can contain one or more unsaturated dinitrile reactants of the formula:

(II) (N a CR")(|I(R"C N) wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkylene radical and an alkylidene radical. In general, each R will have from l to 15 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, and more preferably from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The dinitriles of formula (II) will generally contain from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, and more preferably from 9 to 12 carbon atoms. Representative unsaturated dinitrile reactants of formula (II) include such compounds as 3- methylenehexanedinitrile, 4methyleneheptanedinitile,

5 -methylenenonanedinitrile, 6- methyleneundecanedinitrile, 7- methylenetridecanedinitrile, 8- methylenepentadecanedinitrile, l2- methylenetetracosanedinitrile, l 5 methylenenonacosanedinitrile, 2-methyl-3- methylenepentanedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl-3 methylenepentanedinitrile, 2-methyl-4- methyleneoctanedinitrile methyleneoctanedinitrile 2-methyl-7-ethyl-4- 2,4,8-trimethyl-6- v 2,4,8, 1 O-tetrapropyl-6- methylenedodecanedinitrile, 2,26-dimethyll 4- methyleneheptacosanedinitrile, and mixtures thereof.

Unsaturated dinitriles having a structure other than that of formulas (I) and (II) can be present during the hydrogenation reaction, if desired. Similarly, other methyleneoctanedinitrile,

compounds which may be found in the feed source of the dinitriles of formulas (I) and (ll) can be present so long as such additional compounds do not significantly adversely'affect the hydrogenation of the dinitriles of formulas (I) and (ll). Where other dinitriles are present in the feedstock, the dinitriles of formula (I) will generally constitute at least 0.1 weight percent of the total dinitriles. The significant advantages of the invention increase with increasing concentrations of the dinitriles of formula (I) in the feedstock.'Thus,the process of the invention is even more advantageous for concentrations of the dinitriles of formula l) in the feedstock of at least weight percent. The invention is considered to be particularly advantageous for dinitrile feedstocks having a concentration of the dinit'riles of formula (I) of at least weight percent.

A presently preferred branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitrile feedstock for employment in the practice bf this invention is the dinitrile reaction product mixture obtained by the reaction of isobutylene and acrylonitrile. This dinitrile reaction product mixture generally comprises 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile, 2,4- dimethyl-4-octenedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl-3- octenedinitrile, 2,4,6-trimethyl-3-heptenedinitrile, 5- methylenenonanedinitrile, 2-methyl-4- and 2,6-dimethyl-4- methyleneheptanedinitrile. The first four named compounds in this mixture are of the type of formula (I), while the last three named compounds in this mixture are of the type of formula (ll). The weight ratio of the dinitriles of formula (I) to the dinitriles of formula (II) in this mixture is generally in the range of about 10:] to about 1:10.

, In the practice of this invention, the catalytic hydrogenation of the unsaturated dinitrile reactant of formula.(l) results primarily in the formation of saturated diamine reaction products having the formula:

l (Ill) (H2NCH2-R)CHCH2(R-CH2NH2) wherein-R and R are as defined hereinbefore. The catalytic hydrogenation of an unsaturated dinitrile'reactant of formula (II) results primarily in the formulation of saturated diamine reaction products having the formula:

wherein R" is as defined hereinbefore.

The practice of this invention is particularly suited to the catalytic hydrogenation of this mixture of species of formula (I) and formula (II) for the purpose of achieving saturated diamine reaction products which are substantially free of any olefinic'unsaturation and preferably essentially 'free of any olefinic unsaturation. The phrase substantially free of olefinic unsaturation signifies that the diamine reaction -pro ducts contain less than about 1 weight percent unsaturated diamine reac tion product based on the total weight ofu'nsaturated and saturated diamine reaction products wherein the weight percents are determined by conventional gasliquid chromatograph (GLC) analysis. Thephrase esdiamine reaction products contain less than about 0.1

weight percent unsaturated diamine reaction product based on the total weight of unsaturated and saturated diamine reaction products wherein the weight percents are determined by conventional GLC analysis techniques. These diamine reaction products which are at least substantially free, and preferably essentially free, of olefinic unsaturation are advantageously employed in the preparation of linear terephthalamide polymers.

One of the most important advantage of the catalytic hydrogenation process of this invention is directly related to the production of a mixture of diamines which are essentially free of olefinic unsaturation from the unsaturated dinitrile product mixture produced by the reaction of acrylonitrile and isobutylene. This advantage is significant since prior art catalytic hydrogenation of the acrylonitrile and isobutylene reaction product mixture failed to substantially or completely reduce the olefinic unsaturation of the unsatruated dinitrile feedstock, thereby producing a reaction product mixture containing branched-chain aliphatic diamines having substantial olefinic unsaturation in the carbon skeleton. The separation of the branched-chain olefinically unsaturated diamines from the saturated diamines is inconvenient, and polyamides prepared from the mixtures containing a significant amount of unsaturated diamines have been found to be unsuited or undesirable in the preparation of polyamide fibers, particularly the terephthalamide polymers. Thus, the catalytic hydrogenation of this invention is a significant advance in the preparation of such polyamides.

The catalysts that are considered to be suitable for employment in the catalytic hydrogenation process of this invention comprise the combination of a palladium catalyst component A and a ruthenium catalyst componentB. The palladium catalyst component A can be in the form of finely divided palladium metal or com-v pounds of palladium which are reducible by hydrogen to palladium metal. The palladium catalyst component can also be in the form' of palladium metal deposited on a suitable support or in the form of hydrogen reducible compounds of palladium on a suitable support. Component B can be finely divided elemental ruthenium, compounds of ruthenium reducible to finely divided ele mental ruthenium by hydrogen, ruthenium metal on a suitable support or hydrogen reducible compounds of ruthenium on a suitable support.

The compounds of palladium and ruthenium which are reducible by hydrogen to finely divided elemental palladium or ruthenium include the oxides, halides, nitrates, sulfates, oxalates, acetates, carbamates, propionates, tartrates, hydroxides, and the like, and mixtures thereof. Specific examples include palladium oxide,

tate, palladium carbonate, palladium hydroxide, palladium oxalate, rutheniumoxide, ruthenium chloride, ruthenium nitrate, ruthenium acetate, ruthenium carbonate, ruthenium hydroxide, and the like. The weight ratio of the ruthenium to the palladium in the mixed hydrogenation catalysts of this invention is generally in the range of about 0. l :1 to about 10:1, and preferably is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:l.

The weight ratio of catalyst to unsaturated dinitrile reactant, based on the weight of the total of palladium and ruthenium contained therein, can be varied as desired. For the purpose of maintaining reasonable reaction rates under economically attractive catalytic reaction kinetics, it is generally preferred that the weight ratio of the total of palladium and ruthenium to the unsaturated dinitrile reactants be maintained within a range of about 0.01:100 to about 30:100, and preferably in the range of about 0.12100 to about :100, and more preferably in the range of about 1:100 to about 5:100.

In the practice of this invention, it is often desirable to employ catalytic amounts of elemental palladium, elemental ruthenium, reducible compounds of palladium or ruthenium, or mixtures thereof supported by a solid catalyst carrier which does not deleteriously affect the catalytic hydrogenation process of this invention. Such supports include, for example, carbon, kieselguhr, silica, alumina, silica-alumina, calcium carbonate, barium carbonate, asbestos, pumice, clays, and the like, and mixtures thereof. The palladium and/or ruthenium catalyst components can be added to the catalyst support by any of the methods well known in the art. For example, the supported catalysts can be prepared by dry mixing the components or by impregnating the support with a solution or dispersion of palladium and- /or ruthenium in elemental form or in the form of reducible compounds thereof. The supported catalyst can be pretreated with hydrogen to reduce the compounds, or such reduction can be achieved in the hydrogenation reactor. When a support is employed, the total elemental palladium and elemental ruthenium content will generally be in the range of about 0.5 to about 50 weight percent, preferably in the range of about 1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the weight of the total catalyst composition. The presently preferred catalyst component A is palladium on carbon with the palladium content being about 5 weight percent of the total component A. A presently preferred second catalyst component B is ruthenium on alumina, the ruthenium metal content being about 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the catalyst compo nent B and the support material therefor. This presently preferred catalyst component, as well as other suitable catalyst components such as 5 weight percent ruthenium on charcoal, are available commercially.

The mixed hydrogenation catalysts of this invention can be prepared in any convenient manner. For example, the catalyst components, either supported or unsupported, can be premixed before charging to the hydrogenation reactor or they can be added to the reactor separately in any desired order. Theycan also be prepared by employing a single support material which is then impregnated with solutions of suitable compounds of palladium (A) or ruthenium (B) followed by hydrogen reduction to give the mixed catalyst on a single support material.

Any catalytic hydrogenation temperature can be employed which provides the desired degree of catalytic efficiency in the hydrogenation of the branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitrile containing feedstock. The hydrogenation temperatures will generally be within the range of about 80 C. to about 250 C., preferably within the range of about 100 C. to about 250 C., and more preferably within the range of about 125 C. to about 170 C.

The catalytic hydrogenation of branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles can be carried out at any hydrogen pressure wherein both the olefinic unsaturation and the nitrile groups are reduced in the presence of ammonia, hydrogen and a suitable diluent. Generally, suitable hydrogen pressures are within the range of from about 500 to about 5000 psig, but lower or even higher hydrogen pressures can be employed. Preferably, due to economic considerations, hydrogen pressures within the range of about 1000 to about 3000 psig are employed.

Any time interval suited for the catalytic hydrogenation of branched-chain unsaturated aliphatic dinitriles can be employed in the practice of this invention. However, time intervals economically attractive to the process are generally within the range of about 15 minutes to about 5 hours for a batch hydrogenation process. A reaction time in the range of about 1 to about 3 hours is presently preferred in order to insure substantially complete hydrogenation of any unsaturated olefinic bonds in the feedstock as well as complete hydrogenation of the nitrile groups to primary amino groups. The catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated dinitriles in accordance with the process of this invention can be carried out as a continuous process at any suitable liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV). However, the liquid hourly space velocity rates will generally be within the range of about 0.1 to about 10, more preferably from about 0.5 to about 2, volumes of unsaturated dinitrile reactant plus diluent per volume of catalyst (including the volume of any catalyst support if any is present).

The diluent utilized in the hydrogenation process of the present invention is methanol or a mixture of methanol with other suitable diluents wherein the methanol constitutes at least 25 volume percent, preferably at least 50 volume percent, and more preferably at least volume percent of the diluent mixture. Suitable supplementary diluents include the saturated aliphatic a1- cohols having 2 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, unsubstituted acyclic or unsubstituted cylic ethers having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, and hydrocarbons having 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, and mixtures thereof. The term unsubstituted signifies that there are no substituents other than hydrocarbyl radicals. Examples of supplementary alcohol diluents include ethanol, 2-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 2- methyl-2-butanol, 2-ethyl-2-hexanol, 2-butanol, lhexanol, l-octanol, 2-decanol, l-dodecanol, and the like, and mixtures thereof. The foregoing examples of saturated aliphatic alcohols are unsubstituted alkanols having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule. Examples of ether diluents include diethyl ether, 1,4- dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, and mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable hydrocarbon diluents include n-hexane, n-heptane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, cyclohexane, cyclododecane and mixtures thereof. To facilitate handling of the reaction mixtures, the weight ratio of unsaturated dinitrile reactants to diluent charged to the reaction zone is generally within the weight ratio range of about 0.001:10O to about 15: 100, and is preferably in the range of about 0.1: to about 12:100.

Ammonia is employed in the process of this invention as a means of suppressing undesirable side reactions such as the formation of secondary and tertiary amines.

Any amount of ammonia can be employed which is effective in deterring or reducing undesirable side reactions. In general, the mol ratio of ammonia to cyano group (there being two cyano groups in each unsaturated dinitrile) will be in the range of about 1:1 to about 25: 1, and preferably will be in the range of about 7:1 to about 15:1.

Recovery of the desired end product, the branchedchain saturated aliphatic diamines, including preferred branched-chain saturated aliphatic diamine reaction products which contain less than about 0.1 percent unsaturated diamine by weight of the total reaction product as determined by GLC, as well as any resulting reaction byproducts, any unconsumed reactants, ammonia, hydrogen, and/or diluents can be carried out by any conventional separation means. in general, at the conclusion of the catalytic hydrogenation process, the reaction zone effluent is cooled and depressurized with the recovery, if desired, of any ammonia or diluent which is vented from the reaction zone effluent during the depressurization operation. The ammonia or diluent can be returned or recycled to the hydrogenation zone if desired. The reaction products can be separated from the catalyst by conventional filtration means. The filtrate containing the at least substantially completely saturated diamines can be conveniently separated from any reaction byproducts or any diluent remaining in the filtrate by any conventional fractional distillation.

The following examples are presented in further illustration of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 A 1 liter autoclave was charged with 20 g (0.123 mol) of the'purified reaction product of 2 mols of acrylonitrile with 1 mol of isobutylene. This reaction product consisted essentially of a mixture of isomeric unsaturated dinitriles having one carbon-carbon double bond and 10 carbon atoms per molecule. The principle isomers were 5-methylenenonanedinitrile and S-methyl 4-nonenedinitrile with very small amounts of more highly branched isomers such as 2-methyl-4- methylene=octanedinitrile, among others. For simplicity, the above-described reaction product will hereafter be called'diadduct. Also charged to the one liter autoclave was 350 ml (277 g) of methanol and a mixture of 2 g of palladium on carbon weight percent palladium, based on the total of palladium and carbon) and 5 g of ruthenium on alumina (5 weight percent ruthenium, based on the total of ruthenium and alumina). The system was flushed with nitrogen and then charged with 40 g (2.35 mol) of ammonia. The reactor was then pressured with hydrogen to 1400 psig and heated at 150 C. for 2 hours. The mixture was stirred throughout the reaction period. After this one-step hydrogenation reaction, the reactor was cooled, vented and the contents filtered to remove the catalyst. The filtrate was distilled under vacuum to remove essentially all of the diluent leaving 19.2 g (91 percent yield) of the saturated diamines and only 1.8 g of heavies as distillation residue. Gas-liquid chromatograph (GLC) analysis of COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A In a control run, a one liter autoclave was charged with 350 ml (277 g) methanol, 5 g of palladium on carbon (5 percent Pd by weight) and g (0.123 mol) of the diadduct described in Example I. The system was flushed with nitrogen, charged with 40 g (2.35 mol) of ammonia, and pressured to 1400 psig with hydrogen. The reactor was heated at 170 C. for 2 hours with stirring. At the end of the reaction period, the reactor was cooled, vented and the contents filtered. The filtrate was concentrated by evaporating essentially all of the diluent under vacuum. The product was analyzed by GLC and was found to contain essentially none of the desired saturated diamines. Themajor portion of the recovered product wasfound to be unreacted starting material (diadduct). This result demonstrated that palladium on carbon in methanol diluent was ineffective in reducing the unsaturated dinitrile to the saturated diamine.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE B In another control run, a 1 liter autoclave was charged with 350 ml (277 g) of methanol, 30 g (0.185 mol) of the diadduct described in Examplel, and 4 g of ruthenium on alumina (5 percent by weight Ru) catalyst. The system was flushed with nitrogen, charged with 60 g (3.53 mol) ammonia and heated to about 170 C. for about 2.5 hours. GLC analysis of the product obtained in the usual manner indicated that a considerable amount of carbon-carbon unsaturation remained in the product, i.e., hydrogenation was not complete under these conditions.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for the catalytic hydrogenation of an unsaturated dinitrile feedstock comprising at least one unsaturated dinitrile compound of the formula:

wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkylene radical and an alkylidene radical, R is an alkyl radical, and the number of carbon atoms in said compound is in the range of 7 to a 30; which comprises contacting said feedstock under group consisting of an alkylene radical and an alkyli-- suitable hydrogenation conditions with ammonia; hydrogen; a diluent comprising at least 25 volume percent methanol; and a catalyst consisting essentially of a first catalyst component selected from the group consisting of elemental palladium and palladium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental palladium at said hydrogenation conditions, and mixtures thereof, and a second catalyst component selected from the, group consisting of elemental ruthenium, ruthenium compounds which are reducible by hydrogen to elemental ruthenium at said hydrogenation condisponding branched-chain saturated aliphatic diamine.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said feedstock further comprises at least one unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula:

wherein each R" is independently selected from the dene radical, and the number of carbon atoms in said reactant is in the range of 6 to 30. v

3. A process in accordance with-claim l wher'ein at least one of said catalyst components together with a solid catalyst support forms a catalystcomposition, the content of the elemental metal in 'said catalyst composition being in the range of about 0.5 to about 50 weight percent of said catalyst composition.

4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said alkylene radical, said alkylidene radical and said alkyl radical has from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, and wherein said diluent further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted alkanols having 2 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, unsubstituted acyclic and unsubstituted cyclic ethers having 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, and hydrocarbons having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule.

5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one unsaturated dinitrile compound comprises a mixture of 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl- 4-octenedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl-S-octenedinitrile, and 2,4,6-trimethyl-3-heptenedinitrile.

6. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrogenation conditions comprise a weight ratio of the total of a palladium and ruthenium present to the unsaturated dinitriles in the range of about 0.01 100 to about 30: 100, a mol ratio of ammonia to cyano groups in the range of about 1:1 to about 25:1, a hydrogen pressure in the range of about 500 to about 5000 psig, a weight ratio of the unsaturated dinitriles to the diluent in the range of about 0.001:l to about 15:100, a weight ratio of palladium to ruthenium in the range of about 01:10 to about 10:1; a temperature in the range of about 80 C to about 250 C, and a reaction time in the range of about 15 minutes to about hours if conducted as a batch process or a liquid hourly space velocity rate in the range of about 0.1 to about volumes of unsaturated dinitrile plus diluent per volume of catalyst if conducted as a continuous process.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrogenation conditions comprise a weight ratio of the total of palladium and ruthenium present to the unsaturated dinitriles in the range of about 0.1:100 to about 10:100, a weight ratio of palladium to ruthenium in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1, a mo] ratio of ammonia to cyano groups in the range of about 7:1 to about :1, a hydrogen pressure in the range of about 1000 to about 3000 psig, a weight ratio of the unsaturated dinitriles to the diluent in the range of about 0.1:100 to about 12:100, a temperature in the range of about 100 C to about 250 C, and said diluent comprises at least 50 volume percent methanol.

8. A process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said feedstock further comprises at least one unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula:

wherein each R" is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkylene radical and an alkylidene radical, and the number of carbon atoms in said reactant is in the range of 6 to 30; wherein said at least one unsaturated dinitrile compound constitutes at least 5 weight percent of the unsaturated dinitriles in said feedstock; wherein said at least one dinitrile compound is converted primarily to a saturated diamine having the formula:

wherein R and R are as defined hereinabove; wherein said at least one unsaturated dinitrile reactant is converted primarily to a saturated diamine having the formula:

wherein R" is as defined hereinabove; wherein said hydrogenation condition further comprise a reaction time in the range of about 15 minutes to about 5 hours if conducted as a batch process, and-a liquid hourly space velocity rate in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 volumes of unsaturated dinitrile plus diluent per volume of catalyst if conducted as a continuous process; and further recovering a diamine product containing less than about 1 weight percent unsaturated diamines.

9. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said first catalyst component is palladium on carbon, said second catalyst component is ruthenium on alumina,-

and 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile. 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF AN UNSATURATED DINITRILE FEEDSTOCK COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE UNSATURATED DINITRILE COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA:
 2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said feedstock further comprises at least one unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula:
 3. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said catalyst components together with a solid catalyst support forms a catalyst composition, the content of the elemental metal in said catalyst composition being in the range of about 0.5 to about 50 weight percent of said catalyst composition.
 4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said alkylene radical, said alkylidene radical and said alkyl radical has from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, and wherein said diluent further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted alkanols having 2 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, unsubstituted acyclic and unsubstituted cyclic ethers having 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule, and hydrocarbons having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule.
 5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one unsaturated dinitrile compound comprises a mixture of 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl-4-octenedinitrile, 2,4-dimethyl-3-octenedinitrile, and 2,4,6-trimethyl-3-heptenedinitrile.
 6. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrogenation conditions comprise a weight ratio of the total of a palladium and ruthenium present to the unsaturated dinitriles in the range of about 0.01:100 to about 30:100, a mol ratio of ammonia to cyano groups in the range of about 1:1 to about 25:1, a hydrogen pressure in the range of about 500 to about 5000 psig, a weight ratio of the unsaturated dinitriles to the diluent in the range of about 0.001:100 to about 15:100, a weight ratio of palladium to ruthenium in the range of about 0.1:10 to about 10: 1; a temperature in the range of about 80* C to about 250* C, and a reaction time in the range of about 15 minutes to about 5 hours if conducted as a batch process or a liquid hourly space velocity rate in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 volumes of unsaturated dinitrile plus diluent per volume of catalyst if conducted as a continuous process.
 7. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrogenation conditions comprise a weight ratio of the total of palladium and ruthenium present to the unsaturated dinitriles in the range of about 0.1:100 to about 10:100, a weight ratio of palladium to ruthenium in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1, a mol ratio of ammonia to cyano groups in the range of about 7:1 to about 15:1, a hydrogen pressure in the range of about 1000 to about 3000 psig, a weight ratio of the unsaturated dinitriles to the diluent in the range of about 0.1:100 to about 12:100, a temperature in the range of about 100* C to about 250* C, and said diluent comprises at least 50 volume percent methanol.
 8. A process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said feedstock further comprises at least one unsaturated dinitrile reactant of the formula:
 9. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said first catalyst component is palladium on carbon, said second catalyst component is ruthenium on alumina, and said diluent is methanol.
 10. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein each of said alkylene radical, said alkylidene radical and said alkyl radical has from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
 11. A process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising recovering a diamine product containing less than about 1 weight percent unsaturated diamines.
 12. A process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising recovering a diamine product essentially free of unsaturation.
 13. A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein said feedstock comprises 5-methylene-nonanedinitrile and 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile. 